Sydney Taylor Quotes

“It’s the turn of the century in New York’s Lower East Side and a sense of adventure and excitement abounds for five young sisters - Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte and Gertie.”

“Follow along as they search for hidden buttons while dusting Mama’s front parlor, or explore the basement warehouse of Papa’s peddler’s shop on rainy days.”

“The five girls enjoy doing everything together, especially when it involves holidays and surprises. But no one could have prepared them for the biggest surprise of all!”

“It evokes an era that’s gone forever, and it does it without undue sentimentality and nostalgia. The hardship is right there for those with eyes to see, but so is the love.”

“It is a fictionalised account of her childhood revolves around New York’s Lower East Side and its bustling Jewish community in the early to mid-1900s: where Taylor the daughter of German-Jewish immigrants grew up.”

“The adventures of five little girls (Gertie, Charlotte, Sarah, Henny and Ella) aged between four and twelve living with their mama who looks after the home, and papa who runs a junk shop in the East Side in New York City.”

“Nobody they knew could afford to own a book, something we all take for granted these days. But they owned a piano and it seems that several of the girls had lessons. We have to run a stall selling vegetables to raise money for music lessons.”

“Mama’s girls were going to the library, and Henry was impatient. ‘If it was Charlotte, I could understand,’ said Ella, who was the eldest and very serious. ‘I’d know Charlotte was off dreaming in some corner. But what can be keeping Sarah?”

“I’m afraid the library will expect you to pay for it. And it’s only right,′ continued Mama. ‘You borrowed the book and that make you responsible. The library lets you borrow the book and you’re not supposed to lend it to anybody else.”

“As she worked, Miss Allen found herself watching the five little girls. How quaint they were in their stiffly starched white aprons over dark woolen dresses. They looked for all the world like wide-open umbrellas.”

“Wonderful, delightful episodes show the joys, the struggles and the close family and neighbourhood ties of a Jewish-American family in early 20th century New York City.”

″ Youngest daughter Gertie finally learns to tell time. We have the amusement of baby Charlie’s chapter, in which he toddles up and down the stairs until he finally gets what he wants: namely, his mother to smile at him.”

‘Thus continues the tale of a Jewish family of five sisters-Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte and Gertie-living at the turn of the century in New York’s Lower East Side.”

“Charlie lay sprawled on the sidewalk, playing with the small wagon Papa had made for him. He had turned it upside down, and his chubby little hands kept spinning the wheels round and round.”

“Over the years, the immigrant nation of America has asked, can non-Protestant religious identities be “American?” Taylor demonstrates that Jewish and American identities can coexist in a happy family.”

“Here we see eldest daughter Ella experiencing her very first crush (begun at the library, of course!), we witness fun-loving Henny getting into quite a scrape (for which her friend Fanny pays the price!).”

“Wow!” Gertie exclaimed, ‘look at the long line of horses and carriages!’ ‘You have to have a lot of carriages for a wedding,’ said middle sister Sarah. ‘But so many! They mus be awful rich!”

“Mama shook her head despairingly over the younger brother. ‘Hyman,’ se said reprovingly, ‘you come to pay us a visit and see how you look! No shave. Your suit looks like you slept in it _ a button hanging by a thread. At least you could put one cllean shirt!”

“The richly drawn characters, based on Taylor’s own life, include five sisters and their mischievous brother, Charlie. New York’s upper east side provides the backdrop as the unwatched Charlie toddles in front of an on-coming wagon with unexpected results.”

“Charlie heard his name being called. He stopped, bewildered. Bearing down upon him was a monstrous horse, blowing and puffing and wild-eyed. Its legs were churning up and down in a terrifying blur. The little boy was too frightened even to move.”

“By the time Papa came home, Lena looked quite presentable, with her blouse neatly mended and her wavy brown hair combe. Of course the store was retold in great detail, and Papa heaped praises on her head.”

“Ella finds a boyfriend and Henny disagrees with Papa over her curfew. Thus continues the tale of a Jewish family of five sisters and a little brother.”

“Mom set a platter of fat slice of salty herring on the big round kitchen table. Uncle Hyman sniffed appreciatively. ‘Mmm! What could be better than a tasty piece of schmaltz herring? Just to smell it gives one an appetite.”

“Each book shares the ups and downs in the lives of this special family, through the eyes of Ella, Charlotte, Henny, Sarah, Gertie, and their little brother, Charlie.”

“All-of-a-Kind Family has a new home in the Bronx, new friends and neighbors, and best all, new adventures. In the third book in the beloved series about a Jewish family growing up in early twentieth century New York.”

“Ella misses her boyfriend Jules, who has joined the Army to fight in World War I, Henny spills tea on a dress she borrowed without asking, Sarah works to win a prize at school.”

“Charlotte takes the elevated train without paying her fare, Gertie makes a pancake, and little Charlie is terrified when he meets Santa Claus.”

″ In true All-Of-A-Kind Family spirit, everyone must come together to keep the house running smoothly when Mama goes into the hospital to have her appendix removed.”

“The All of a Kind family faces hardship as they confront illness, disappointment and war, and the joys of reunion, birth, and growing up.”

″ In their new home they learn about Christian traditions and save for the war effort.”

“A lovely series about a Jewish immigrant family living in New York City.”

“Having now moved to the leafier Bronx, the family are just beginning to find their way around, and the girls set out at the beginning of the book, together with little Charlie, to visit their Aunt Lena in her apartment, a few blocks away.”

″ In true All-Of-A-Kind Family spirit, everyone must come together to keep the house running smoothly when Mama goes into the hospital to have her appendix removed.”

“Mama must be taken to the hospital, in order to have her appendix out, and the girls (Ella in charge) must cope with running a house on their own.”

“Ella’s beau Jules returns here, and enlists in the US Army, shipping off to Europe to fight in World War I. Jewish holidays and customs - keeping the Sabbath, the P’Idyon Ha-Ben ceremony - still play a central role in the girls’ lives, but their horizons expand in this new home.”